American Stories
“William Wilson,” Part Four by Edgar Allan Poe
Lesson Plan
This lesson plan is to accompany the American Stories series episode
“William Wilson,” Part Four, by Edgar Allan Poe.
A transcript of the story is included at the end of this lesson to print so
students can read as they listen. Teachers who cannot play the audio from
the website can read the story aloud or have students read it.
American Stories lesson plans are based on the CALLA approach. See the
end of each lesson for more information and resources on teaching with the
CALLA approach.
CALLA has five lesson elements:
Prepare: Engage students in the topic and identify objectives for the lesson.
Find out what students already know about it and motivate them to learn
more. Teach new vocabulary.
Present: Present new information. Explain the target learning strategy for
the lesson. Model what the students are asked to do. Discuss connections to
students’ prior knowledge.
Practice: Give students an authentic, active task that they can do in a small
group or in pairs. Remind students to use the target learning strategy.
Self-Evaluate: Question students so they will reflect on their own learning.
Ask students to evaluate their own learning rather than wait for the teacher
to assess them. Find out if using the learning strategy helped students'
understanding.
Expand: Guide students on how to apply what they learned to their own
lives. Point out other contexts where the learning strategy may help. Make
connections between content and language or to the student's first
language. When appropriate, request that parents contribute to learning.
Now for this week's lesson.
VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Prepare
Introduce the story: “Today, we will read Part Four of ‘William Wilson’ by
Edgar Allan Poe. You will remember that, last week, the narrator was playing
a game of cards with another student named Glendinning. Throughout the
story so far, the narrator has struggled with his relationship with the other
William Wilson. By the end of this story, he realizes he has much more in
common with him than he originally wanted to admit. Have you ever met
someone that you didn’t think you had anything in common with but later
found out that you did? Maybe you didn’t like the person in the beginning or
didn’t think you’d have a friendly relationship, but that changed with time?
Think about that person for a moment. Make a list of descriptive words
about what you thought their personality was like when you first met them.
Then, make a list of the qualities you realized you had in common after you
got to know them better.
Give students a few minutes to make their list.
Next, ask students to tell the classmate sitting next to them about this
person. Then, ask a few volunteers to share the stories with the class.
Say, “In today’s story, the narrator still wants to believe the other William
Wilson is not like him. But, that begins to change toward the end of the
story. Today we will learn how to use the strategy Use Graphic Organizers
to better understand the relationship between two William Wilsons. But first,
let’s review some vocabulary and learn some new words.”
Go over the review words from last week and teach the new vocabulary
(both below). Use images, gestures, or objects for visual aids. A copy of the
vocabulary also appears on the page after the story transcript (and includes
a picture of a sword).
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Review Words
gentleman - n. a man who treats other people in a proper and polite way
cards - n. small pieces of stiff paper that are marked with symbols or
pictures to show their value, come in a set, and are used for playing games
coat - n. an outer piece of clothing that can be long or short and that is
worn to keep warm or dry
New Words
“down in the dust” - expression. an expression that means discouraged,
depressed or sad; Poe uses the outdated form of the expression; today, the
common expression is “down in the dumps.”
arm - n. either one of the two long body parts that join the top of your body
at the shoulder and that end at the hand or wrist
duke - n. a man of very high rank in the British nobility
shoulder - n. the part of your body where your arm is connected
mask - n. a covering for your face or for part of your face, such as to hide
or disguise your face
blue - adj. having the color of the clear sky
band - n. a flat, straight piece of material (such as plastic or metal) that
forms a circle around something
cloth - n. material that is made by weaving together threads of cotton,
wool, nylon, etc., and that is used to make clothes, sheets, etc.
sword - n. a weapon with a long metal blade that has a sharp point and
edge
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Present
Introduce the task to students: “You can create graphics to show what two or
more people or things have in common – and don’t have in common. For
example, you can use a Venn diagram. A Venn diagram is a drawing that uses
circles to show relationships between sets of things. As we read the story today,
we will practice the strategy Use Graphic Organizers to help us look carefully
at the similarities and differences between the two William Wilsons.”
Make two columns on the board or a shared screen with “William Wilson 1
(narrator)” at the top of the left column and “William Wilson 2” at the top of the
right column. Ask students, “From reading the previous three parts of the story,
what are some words that describe the narrator’s personality?” Give students a
minute to discuss this with the person sitting next to them. Then, elicit several
responses. Write their responses on the board or shared screen and add to their
words if needed. Do the same thing regarding the second William Wilson. Some
student responses about the narrator may include: he is controlling, cruel, a
bully, greedy and untrustworthy and has little self-control. Responses about the
second William Wilson may include: he is honorable, responsible, shy, quiet and
wise and has good self-control.
Now, model the strategy: draw two overlapping circles on the board (as
pictured below) with a small overlapping section and then say, “When you make
a Venn diagram, you draw the circles like this. The part in the middle represents
what people or things have in common or that is the same about them.”
Write the personality adjectives / words in the separate areas of the circles on
the board or a shared screen. Then say, “But, even though their personalities
are different, they do have some things in common. What are those things?”
Some student responses may be: they are the same height; they look similar;
they are the same age; they have the same birthday; they went to the same
school; they started school on the same day. Write their responses in the
overlapping section. Keep the phrases short, as pictured below.
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Venn Diagram
William Wilson 1 (narrator)
William Wilson 2
controlling
greedy
cruel
bully
untrustworthy
no self-control
honorable
looks
age
birthday
same school
started same
day
leaves Eton
responsible
shy
speaks softly
wise
good self-control
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Tell students that, to study the similarities between people, groups, objects
or ideas, we can create graphic organizers, such as Venn diagrams.
Practice
Hand out copies of the transcript to the story and the blank Venn diagrams,
which can be found after the transcript. (The teacher’s version of the Venn
diagram can also be found after the transcript.) Then, prepare students for
the next part: ask them to sit with a new partner, then say, “Let’s listen to
the first part of the story. As we listen, think about what is the same and
what is different about the two William Wilsons, including personality and
actions. Then, you will fill in your own Venn diagrams. You’ll notice that not
all of the differences or similarities between the two characters is stated
directly.”
Play or read aloud to: “I placed the coat offered by Preston over my own,
and left his room.” (end of paragraph five)
Say, “Now, work with your partner to identify the similarities and differences
and write them into the correct spaces in your diagrams. Remember that
differences go into the separated areas and similarities go in the overlapping
section.”
Give students time to work on the activity together. Then, ask several students
to share their answers with the class. If time allows, you can have volunteers go
up to the board and write one thing each on the Venn diagram. Be sure their
phrases are very short. Some student responses about William Wilson 1
(narrator) may include: afraid, cheater, depressed, proud, feels superior, fine
coat, and feels weak. Some responses for William Wilson 2 may include: soft
voice, fine coat and honest.
The overlapping section should include: fine coat and height.
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Play or read aloud to: “….and that ever-remembered quiet voice within
my ear.” (end of paragraph nine)
Do this activity the same way you did the previous one. Some student
responses about William Wilson 1 (narrator) may include: travels around
Europe, weak, helpless, lacks self-control, loves money and does evil things.
Some responses about William Wilson 2 might include: helper, tries to stop
bad things/behavior, travels around Europe, follows narrator, wears mask,
covers face, honorable and wise.
The overlapping section should include: travels around Europe.
Play or read aloud to the end of the story.
Do this activity the same way you did previously. Some student responses
about William Wilson 1 (narrator) may include: angry, wild, violent, hateful,
strong, sword, horrified, terrified, stabs other William, bloody and white
face. Some responses about William Wilson 2 may be: red cloth, sword,
black cloth mask and ready to fight.
The overlapping section should include: sword, clothing, face, voice, dies
and/or stabbed to death / stabs self.
Ask students: “So, now that we’ve finished the story, what conclusions can
we make about the narrator?” Some responses may be: he stabbed himself
to death; he committed suicide; he had mental problems (split personality
disorder); William Wilson 2 was really just the narrator’s conscience trying to
stop him from doing bad things; and he finally understands that there aren’t
two William Wilsons.
(By now, the students are likely already aware that the narrator is the only
one to ever notice or comment on the similarities between the two
characters or observe the second William Wilson, but you can mention this
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
as a close to the story if you think it’s appropriate. These facts are clear
evidence of the narrator’s split identity and enduring delusion.)
Self-Evaluate
Say, “Now I’d like to ask: what do you think about using this strategy, Use
Graphic Organizers, when you read? Did it help you to notice important details
about the relationship between the two characters? Write two sentences on a
piece of paper to turn in about how predicting helped you today.”
Expand
Ask students: “Are there other times at school you can make a Venn
diagram to help you identify important relationships between things?” Elicit
responses from a few students.
Continue, “Venn diagrams are useful in many subjects where you need to
compare two or more things, such as in many kinds of science. They are also
sometimes used in statistics to show relationships between two or more
populations or things. You can also use Venn diagrams outside of school.
Let’s say you are thinking about applying to three universities and you want
to compare what each school offers. You can make a Venn diagram to
visually examine the different and similar offerings. Try using this strategy
tonight when you go home, or in the next class. Let me know how it goes!”
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
“William Wilson,” Part Four
By Edgar Allan Poe
As I ended the last part of my story, I was speaking of that terrible
evening when I played cards with a young gentleman called Glendinning. We
were in the room of one of my friends at Oxford University. I had just
realized that the young man, weak of mind and weakened by wine, had
allowed me to win from him everything he owned. I was still trying to decide
what I should do, when, as I said…
The wide, heavy doors of the room were suddenly opened. Every light
in the room went out; but I had seen that a stranger had entered; he was
about my own height, and he was wearing a very fine, long coat. The
darkness, however, was now complete; and we could only feel that he was
standing among us. Then we heard him speak. In a soft, low, and never-tobe-forgotten voice, which I felt deep in my heart, he said: “Gentlemen, I am
here only to do my duty. You cannot know the true character of the man
who has tonight taken a large amount of money from Mr. Glendinning.
Please have him take off his coat, and then look in it very carefully.”
While he was speaking there was not another sound in the room. As
he ended, he was gone.
Can I — shall I — tell what I felt? Need I say that I was afraid, that I
felt the sick fear of those who are judged forever wrong? Many hands held
me. Lights were brought. My friends looked in my coat. In it they found all
the high cards, the valuable cards needed to win in the game we had been
playing. Secretly using these cards, I could have taken the money of anyone
who played the game with me. Mr. Preston, in whose room we were, then
said: “Mr. Wilson, this is yours.” He lifted from the floor a fine, warm coat,
and said, “We shall not look in this to prove again what we have proved
already. We have seen enough. You will understand, I hope, the need for
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
you to leave the University. At the very least, you must leave my room, and
leave it now.”
Down in the dust though my spirit was, I might have tried to strike
him for those words if at that moment I had not noticed something very
surprising. My coat had cost more money than most men could spend, and it
had been made especially for me. It was different, I thought, from every
other coat in the world. When, therefore, Mr. Preston gave me the coat
which he had picked up from the floor, I saw with terror that my own was
already hanging on my arm, and that the two were alike in every way. I
remembered that the strange being who had so mysteriously entered and
left the room had had a coat. No one else in the group had been wearing
one. I placed the coat offered by Preston over my own, and left his room.
The next morning I began a hurried journey away from Oxford
University. I ran, but I could not escape. I went from city to city, and in each
one Wilson appeared. Paris, Rome, Vienna, Berlin, Moscow — he followed me
everywhere. Years passed. I went to the very ends of the earth. I ran in
fear, as if running from a terrible sickness, and still he followed. Again and
again I asked myself, “Who is he? — where did he come from? — and what
is his purpose?” But no answer was found. And then I looked with the
greatest care at the methods of his watch over me. I learned little. It was
noticeable, indeed, that when he appeared now, it was only to stop me in
those actions from which evil might result. But what right did he have to try
to control me?
I also noticed that although he always wore clothes the same as mine,
he no longer let me see his face. Did he think I would not know him? He
destroyed my honor at Oxford, he stopped me in my plans for getting a high
position in Rome, in my love in Naples, in what he called my desire for too
much money in Egypt. Did he think I could fail to see that he was the
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
William Wilson of my schoolboy days, the hated and feared William Wilson?
But let me hurry to the last scene in my story.
Until now I had not tried to strike back. He was honorable and wise, he
could be everywhere, and he knew everything. I felt such wonder and fear of
him that I believed myself to be weak and helpless. Though it made me
angry, I had done as he desired. But now I wanted more and more to escape
his control. As I began to grow stronger, it seemed to me that he began to
grow weaker. I felt a burning hope; in my deepest thoughts I decided that I
was going to be free.
It was at Rome, during the Carnival of 1835, that I went to a dance in
the great house of the Duke Di Broglio. I had been drinking more wine than
is usual, and the rooms seemed very crowded and hot. I became angry as I
pushed through the people. I was looking (Let me not say why)…I was
looking for the young, the laughing, the beautiful wife of old Di Broglio.
Suddenly I saw her; but as I was trying to get through the crowd to join her,
I felt a hand placed upon my shoulder, and that ever-remembered quiet
voice within my ear.
In a wild anger I took him in a strong hold. Wilson was dressed, as I
had expected, like myself, in a rich coat of blue. Around his body was a band
of red cloth from which hung a long sharp sword. A mask of black cloth
completely covered his face.
“You again!” I cried, my anger growing hotter with each word. “Always
you again! You shall not — you shall not hunt me like this until I die! Come
with me now or I will kill you where you stand.” I pulled him after me into a
small room nearby. I threw him against the wall and closed the door. I
commanded him to take his sword in his hand. After a moment, he took it
and stood waiting, ready to fight.
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
The fight was short indeed. I was wild with hate and anger; in my arm
I felt the strength of a thousand men. In a few moments I had forced him
back against the wall, and he was in my power. Quickly, wildly, I put my
sword’s point again and again into his heart.
At that moment I heard that someone was trying to open the door. I
hurried to close it firmly, and then turned back to my dying enemy. But what
human words can tell the surprise, the horror which filled me at the scene I
then saw?! The moment in which I had turned to close the door had been
long enough, it seemed, for a great change to come at the far end of the
room. A large mirror — a looking glass — or so it seemed to me — now
stood where it had not been before. As I walked toward it in terror I saw my
own form, all spotted with blood, its face white, advancing to meet me with
a weak and uncertain step.
So it appeared, I say, but was not. It was my enemy — it was Wilson,
who then stood before me in the pains of death. His mask and coat lay upon
the floor. In his dress and in his face there was nothing which was not my
own!
It was Wilson; but now it was my own voice I heard, as he said: “I
have lost. Yet from now on you are also dead — dead to the World, dead to
Heaven, dead to Hope! In me you lived — and, in my death — see by this
face, which is your own, how wholly, how completely, you have killed —
yourself!”
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Review Words
gentleman - n. a man who treats other people in a proper and polite way
cards - n. small pieces of stiff paper that are marked with symbols or
pictures to show their value, come in a set, and are used for playing games
coat - n. an outer piece of clothing that can be long or short and that is
worn to keep warm or dry
New Words
“down in the dust” - expression. an expression that means discouraged,
depressed or sad; Poe uses an outdated form of the expression; today, the
common expression is “down in the dumps.”
arm - n. either one of the two long body parts that join the top of your body
at the shoulder and that end at the hand or wrist
duke - n. a man of very high rank in the British nobility
shoulder - n. the part of your body where your arm is connected
mask - n. a covering for your face or for part of your face, such as to hide
or disguise your face
blue - adj. having the color of the clear sky
band - n. a flat, straight piece of material (such as plastic or metal) that
forms a circle around something
cloth - n. material that is made by weaving together threads of cotton,
wool, nylon, etc., and that is used to make clothes, sheets, etc.
sword - n. a weapon with a long metal blade that has a sharp point and
edge
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Venn Diagram
Guide for Teacher
afraid
soft voice
cheater
honest
depressed
fine coat
helper
proud / feels superior
height
stops bad behavior
feels weak
helpless
lacks self-control
travels in Europe
clothing
follows narrator
wears mask / covers face
honorable
loves money
face
wise
evil doer / hateful
dies / stabbed
red cloth
wild / violent
horrified / terrified
voice
black cloth mask
ready to fight
white face
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Venn Diagram - For Students
William Wilson 1 (narrator)
William Wilson 2
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Sword
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
About the CALLA Approach
This lesson is based on the CALLA approach. The Cognitive Academic
Language Learning Approach (CALLA) is an instructional model for second
and foreign language learners based on cognitive theory and research.
CALLA integrates instruction in priority topics from the content curriculum,
development of the language skills needed for learning in school, and explicit
instruction in using learning strategies for academic tasks.
The goals of CALLA are for students to learn essential academic content and
language and to become independent and self-regulated learners through
their increasing command over a variety of strategies for learning in school.
CALLA can be used in ESL, EFL, bilingual, foreign language, and general
education classrooms.
A list of CALLA learning strategies follows. These strategies were researched
by J. Michael O’Malley and Anna Uhl Chamot.
See a list of language learning strategies below.
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES
Plan / Organize
Before beginning a task:
Set goals.
Plan the task or content sequence.
Plan how to accomplish the task (choose strategies).
Preview a text.
Monitor / Identify Problems
While working on a task:
Check your progress on the task.
Check your comprehension as you use the language. Do you
understand? If not, what is the problem?
Check your production as you use the language. Are you making
sense? If not, what is the problem?
Evaluate
After completing a task:
Assess how well you have accomplished the learning task.
Assess how well you have used learning strategies.
Decide how effective the strategies were.
Identify changes you will make the next time you have a similar task
to do.
Manage Your Own Learning
Determine how you learn best.
Arrange conditions that help you learn.
Look for Ways to Practice.
Focus your attention on the task.
TASK-BASED STRATEGIES - USE WHAT YOU KNOW
Use Background Knowledge
Think about and use what you already know to help you do the task.
Make associations between new information and your prior knowledge.
Use new information to clarify or modify your prior knowledge.
Make Inferences
Use context and what you know to figure out meaning.
Read and listen between the lines.
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Go beyond the text to understand its meaning.
Make Predictions
Anticipate information to come.
Make logical guesses about what will happen in a written or oral text.
Make an estimate (math).
Make a hypothesis (science).
Personalize
Relate new concepts to your own life, to your experiences, knowledge,
beliefs and feelings.
Transfer / Use Cognates
Apply your linguistic knowledge of other languages (including your
native language) to the target language.
Recognize cognates.
Substitute / Paraphrase
Use a synonym or descriptive phrase for unknown words or
expressions.
TASK-BASED STRATEGIES - USE YOUR SENSES
Use Images
Use or create an actual or mental image to understand and/or
represent information.
Use or draw a picture or diagram.
Use Sounds
Say or read aloud a word, sentence, or paragraph to help your
understanding.
Sound out/vocalize.
Use your “mental tape recorder” to remember sounds, words, phrases,
and/or conversations.
Use Your Kinesthetic Sense
Act out a role, for example, in Readers' Theater, or imagine yourself in
different roles in the target language.
Use real objects to help you remember words, sentences, or content
information.
TASK-BASED STRATEGIES - USE YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Find/Apply Patterns
Apply a rule.
Make a rule.
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VOA Learning English | American Stories | “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe
Recognize and apply letter/sound, grammar, discourse, or register
rules.
Identify patterns in literature (genre).
Identify patterns in math, science, and social studies.
Classify/Sequence
Categorize words or ideas according to attributes.
Classify living things; identify natural cycles.
Identify order and sequences in math, science, and social studies.
Sequence events in history.
Take Notes
Write down important words and ideas while listening or reading.
List ideas or words to include in speaking or writing.
Use Graphic Organizers
Use or create visual representations (such as Venn diagrams, time
lines, webs, and charts) of important relationships between concepts.
Summarize
Create a mental, oral, or written summary of information.
Use Selective Attention
Focus on specific information, structures, key words, phrases, or ideas.
TASK-BASED STRATEGIES - USE A VARIETY OF RESOURCES
Access Information Sources
Use the dictionary, the internet, and other reference materials.
Seek out and use sources of information.
Follow a model
Ask questions
Cooperate
Work with others to complete tasks, build confidence, and give and
receive feedback.
Talk Yourself Through It (Self-Talk)
Use your inner resources. Reduce your anxiety by reminding yourself
of your progress, the resources you have available, and your goals.
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